A young 20s Phoenix public relations practitioner ranted against me (did not use my name) on her blog after I ranted about employers and clients hiring inexperienced practitioners on a popular public relations blog.
Today I was taking notes, and I realized my note taking style is one only other journalists would comprehend. As a journalist, you develop a way of taking notes in case something happens to you and others need to write a story from your notes.
Last year I wrote an article for The Arizona Republic quoting Phoenix’s mayor. I wasn’t sure I was quoting accurately. After writing the story and submitting it, a word-for-word text of the mayor’s speech was distributed, taken from a tape. With more than 200 words quoted by the mayor, I missed one word, like “the.” Not bad for note taking.
When I started in public relations, there was a career track. Ten years in the media then into corporate public relations. I had to wait until my early 30s to go into PR. This meant I was wiser. I made mistakes, but my mistakes would have been more horrific if I hadn’t followed – or was forced to – career path.
Below are some questions from Linkedin that demonstrate most of those in public relations today have never seen a news room. My question, would you allow a doctor who had just gotten out of undergraduate school and never did a residency operate on you? Then why are businesses hiring inexperienced practitioners over the plethora of laid-off journalists available?
Then they wonder why their profits are down. Duh.
Linkedin questions (my apologies to the professional journalists whom I picked on their question):
How do I find journalists and editors in the fashion and jewellery field
Do public relations practitioners with journalism experience or training enjoy more credibility with reporters than those with a PR background only?
How can PR pros avoid journalist blacklists?
What are the do’s and don’ts when dealing with the media?
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